Re: Thurs notes on Ch 2 factory farms

[Peggy Adams <adams@pcei.org>]

Visionaries,

I wanted to pass this on to those of you who are interested and might want
to do something.

P

>Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 10:00:51 -0700
>From: "Carla L. Olson" <planning@micron.net>
>Organization: CLO Planning consulting
>
>Thank you for your interest in the hog farm issue.  The one proposed for
>Cassia
>County, Idaho, scares the heck out of me!  The proposal is for 500,000
>hogs at a
>time; 1 million hogs per year.  The hogs would be trucked to Twin Falls for
>slaughter.
>
>The location is troubling.  It is adjacent to a beautiful rural community
>that has
>built a Church, park, ballfields, etc.  They have many outdoor picnics and
>gatherings.  It would be a tremendous blow to their lifestyle if the hogs
>move next
>door.  Water quality is another issue.  I'm not a water quality expert,
>but I do
>know that water (and sewage) runs downhill, and Raft River is downhill and
>only
>about 1/4 mile away from where the massive sewage lagoons would be
>located.  Access
>is another issue. Massive amounts of feed will have to be trucked in, and
>live hogs
>trucked out.  The area lacks good roads and receives extreme winter weather.
>
>The application was lacking in details about how large and how many
>lagoons will be
>needed, how the property could be converted to another use after the
>operation is
>no longer state of the art, and other important information.
>
>If you have a DeLorme Atlas for Idaho, the site is located on page 20,
>within the
>triangle formed by I-86 and I-84.  The site is south of I-86 and east of I-84,
>lying (in general) south of Yale Road and north of Beet Dump Road,
>extending almost
>to Raft River.  Raft River runs into the Snake River about 7 or 8 miles
>from the
>site.
>
>The current status of the project is that the Cassia County Planning
>Commission
>held one public hearing in November and closed public testimony on
>November 18.
>They have not said when they plan to make a decision, although rumor has
>it that
>they will meet to deliberate on it tonight.  When they make their
>decision, odds
>are that it will be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners.
>Although the
>County's ordinance is sketchy regarding appeals, it is possible that the
>Board will
>reopen testimony from the public.  That will be the time to supply them
>with good
>arguments against the proposal.
>
>Unfortunately, the proposal took the neighbors by surprise.  The
>application was
>filed
>during sugar beet harvest, and the neighbors are all sugar beet farmers.  The
>opposition was not as prepared as we could have been -- we could not locate an
>attorney to help us on such short notice, did not have time to find a
>water quality
>expert, etc....  I am hoping we will have another chance before the County
>makes
>its decision.
>
>I'm sure the neighbors will appreciate your interest and involvement.  So
>far the
>neighbors appear to be the only ones fighting this proposal.  The Sierra Club
>submitted a letter, but I think that is the only non-neighbor to become
>involved.
>I'll be happy to keep you posted on any new developments on this issue.
>Thank you
>very much for the resources you pointed me to!
>
>Carla Olson
>
>
>
>
>Peggy Adams wrote:
>
>> Carla,
>>
>> I'm glad to see someone finds this issue important.  Please forward to me
>> anything you have about this.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Peggy
>>
>> >=====  A message from the 'smartgro' discussion list  =====
>> >
>> >I was out of town and did not see the Channel 2 segment.  However, I do
>>have a
>> >great deal of information about Ron Och's proposed hog farm in Cassia
>>County,
>> >which is proposed to house one million hogs per year (2 "crops" of 500,000
>> >each).  The hogs would be trucked to Twin Falls for slaughter and packing.
>> >I've
>> >been surprised at the lack of interest shown by the public so far; the
>> >opposition
>> >has been largely the neighbors located adjacent to the proposed site.  I
>> >would be
>> >glad to share what I know about the proposal to anyone interested in
>>taking an
>> >active role.
>> >
>> >Carla Olson
>> >
>> >DPlum65@aol.com wrote:
>> >
>> >> =====  A message from the 'smartgro' discussion list  =====
>> >>
>> >> These notes are pretty sketchy.  Hoping Ch 2 will air the special report
>> >>with
>> >> John Hannion again, not on a major travel holiday.
>> >>
>> >> One gentleman said Idaho land is cheap and the politicians are cheap.
>> >> (reason that out of state factory owners are moving to Idaho.)
>> >>
>> >> The developer of the hog farm is a wealthy Sun Valley resident and former
>> >> Wall Street employee. He said his budget for the hog factory included
>>$1.9
>> >> million in taxes.  Makes you wonder how much goes into his pocket.
>>Think I
>> >> heard that something like a half million pigs per year could be processed
>> >> there.
>> >>
>> >> Hogs generate as much as 3 times more waste per day than humans.  The
>>stench
>> >> and flies carrying germs are a big problem, but potential for
>>contamination
>> >> of water supplies even more serious.
>> >>
>> >> Someone asked how an agency that promotes agriculture can also police
>> >> agriculture; referred to the fox guarding the hen house.  Dept of Ag.
>> >>
>> >> Someone mentioned that EPA's cleanup requirements might not be adequate.
>> >>
>> >> Another person felt the dairy requirements for enviro standards were
>>plenty
>> >> strict, but hog farms and feedlots would not have the same standards.
>> >>
>> >> The state can't/doesn't have access to the numbers of cattle on feed
>>lots.
>> >> Somehow that is considered classified information.
>> >>
>> >> Some have requested a moratorium on new farm factories until better
>> >> guidelines can be made.  Possible new legislation this year.
>> >>
>> >> I've probably missed several points from the piece.  Please share any
>> >> relevant information, or corrections if needed.
>> >>
>> >> C. Cole
>>
>> Peggy Adams
>>
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